


Countdown to Season 6 Prompt Fill Collection

by CycloneRachel



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Episode: s03e06 Midvale, Gen, Multi, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Crossover Event (CW DC TV Universe), Post-Season/Series 03, more characters and relationships to come I'm sure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29940108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CycloneRachel/pseuds/CycloneRachel
Summary: a collection of short fics based on 2 25-prompts lists that I foundto be posted daily from now until March 30th, 2021
Relationships: Alex Danvers & Kara Danvers, Kara Danvers & Querl Dox, Querl Dox & Winn Schott Jr.
Comments: 26
Kudos: 12





	1. prompt 2: "I believe in you"

**Author's Note:**

> And we kick off this self-imposed challenge with an apology! Because the prompt for Day 1 ("forgive me", featuring Brainy and Alex working together post-season 3 for the first time) got over a thousand words long, I just posted it as it was. ignoring that I'm going to do more of these, can't stop now. so all the rest of them are going in here, and I'm sure I'll probably do a bonus.
> 
> Until then, this is the second day's prompt, "I believe in you". Also inspired by something I sent my friend Pesky right after season 3 ended: "Brainy running a simulation where Winn is killed by Brainiac :D :D :D"
> 
> sorry, Pesky. And I hope you enjoy this!

He had to at least consider it.

Such a possibility was likely, of course- and, in the early days of his knowing Winslow Schott, junior (if such a thing was brought up, which also seemed absurd at the time) he would think it almost certain.

There was no way, he believed, that Winn would have been able to defeat Brainiac. Vril Dox, first of his name… the being who had made the Brainiac title what it was, shaped the reputation of the rest of his family. All subsequent ancestors were expected to be like him, perform to his standards… or they were cast out.

Like Querl himself, after some time.

But he still used the title, attempted to reshape the perception of it, and something such as defeating his outright villainous ancestor would surely make him a hero in the eyes of the citizens of the United Planets, those he served while fighting alongside the rest of the Legion.

If, that was, Brainiac ever returned- and since he was dead, Querl doubted he’d ever get such a chance. So in the meantime, he was as heroic as possible, and hoped his attempts would be enough.

And then the Blight came.

Then, he and Mon-El and Imra went back in time, to make certain that it would not affect the thirty-first century, and the universe and their friends would be safe. And, as with most if not all of his plans, that aspect of it was a success- the Blight was eradicated, its source dissolved. Two of the Worldkillers had been defeated, and Supergirl and her friends could handle the third. They could go home as heroes. It would be okay.

However, it seemed as though he could not- could never- be so fortunate.

Because, as he found out when discovering another plague had taken the Blight’s place (via direct contact from the Coluan government that blamed him for such a pandemic), Brainiac was brought back to life along with it. And his plan ensured that not even Querl himself could attempt to stop him, unless he desired an even quicker death.

This led him to the New National City archives, files from years past, to search for his replacement. Someone he could trust, someone worthy to take his place (albeit temporarily).

Naturally, he first considered Supergirl.

But as the files told him, she- and her sister, and most of her friends, were too important to history to remove. There were detailed records of what they did in the subsequent years after his and the Legion’s meeting with them.

However…

Such could not be said of Winn.

And a look into his past before they met revealed that not only was he responsible for the first forcefield belt design- the one Querl himself had perfected- but he had also created a malware that had been used to stop Indigo. Another Coluan, alias Brainiac 8… one of his own ancestors.

(Secretly, before his search began, he had considered Winn all along. But he couldn’t admit it, until that moment.

He needed Winn. He could trust him, even if they hadn’t been friends at first.

But would he live up to his potential?)

That was why he was here, in the simulation chamber- before he was set to return to the twenty-first century. Running all the possibilities, every way that his bringing Winn here to help the Legion could go.

And among those, he had to consider Brainiac’s victory, and with that, Winn’s death.

 _I apologize,_ he thought to Winn as he watched, doing his best not to turn away. _Even though this is not real._

_I believe in you, Winslow. Please… stay as safe as you can._

He doesn’t save the simulation, before he leaves.

After all, it’s the last thing Winn needs to see, and it’s hardly as encouraging as Querl wants to be, when he sees him again.


	2. prompt 3: "I can't stand how they're looking at you"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can't stand how they're looking at you" featuring Kara and Brainy in 5x10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this one was almost Alex and Brainy in season 4, in relation to how Haley and Lockwood see Brainy... but then I realized that I do not remember a lot of season 4. So I made it this past season instead, and had it be Kara and Brainy. Anyway I hope this one makes sense.
> 
> (also in case anyone's wondering about how the "2 lists" thing works, I managed to find 2 lists of writing prompts that are 25 prompts long each, and every day so far I've randomized a number from 1 to 25 and picked one of the prompts that was at that number)

“I can’t stand how they’re looking at you.”

“And how do they look at me?” Querl asked, immediately wishing that he didn’t have to ask such a question. He shouldn’t have had to- he would just _know_.

Even inhibited, he should at least know his own expressions, or those of other versions of himself.

“Like you’re not as good.” Kara said, looking like those words hurt her to say. “I mean, the way they talked about you too… do they even know about what you’ve been through? What you just told me?”

Querl nodded.

“My female counterpart- the one who claimed to be director of the DEO- She is aware of my limitation.” He said. “She counseled me to remove the inhibitors… and I am sorry to say that she may not understand what it is like to live with them. How many simulations I have run, of taking them off, and the consequences thereof.”

“But do you want to remove them?” Kara asked.

“More than anything.” He said. “In fact, there was an incident- before the Crisis. Your sister and I, we were investigating what we believed to be Rip Roar’s body. But we were set up- in place of the body, was a bomb. And it went off. We were able to get away from it in time, out of its radius. However, when I fell onto the ground, I hit my head… and though it is not the first time I have experienced an injury of that nature, it is the first time one of my inhibitors was damaged in the process.”

“Yeah, Alex told me that.” Kara said. “She also said you were able to fix it, and you carried her back to the DEO after she fainted from the aftereffects of the explosion.”

“That I did.” Querl answered. “But… the inhibitor was not fixed. In fact, its being damaged was what allowed me to discover the location of Leviathan’s headquarters. Even with being partially uninhibited, I felt so much freer… it was exhilarating.”

“You’re still afraid, though.”

He stared at the floor, twisting his Legion ring around his finger.

“I’ve seen it- read the file, rather. What you did while uninhibited yourself, everything you said.”

“The Red Kryptonite.” Kara finished. “Yeah.”

“You know what it is like.” He said. “How did that feel?”

Kara shook her head, unable to look at him either.

“Great, at first.” She said. “Like a weight had been lifted. Every day since I had come to Earth, for the longest time, I was told to hide. Made to be human, try and fit in. My adopted dad gave me lead-lined glasses, to restrict my super-senses. I couldn’t be a hero, like my cousin- even though I knew I was supposed to be. If it wasn’t for the Phantom Zone…”

She sighed, and then continued.

“Anyway- becoming Supergirl helped, for a while.” She said. “For so many years, I had to pretend to fit in, and be Kara Danvers. It felt like lying to myself, to Kara Zor-El… but being a hero set me free, in a way. I could live up to my cousin’s legacy, follow what my parents wanted for me. Especially in my own city that I could save, with my own friends alongside me. I felt powerful, and I could finally own it.”

“And then Maxwell Lord arrived.” Querl remembered. “Several of his inventions, if I recall correctly, were quite problematic in your first year as a hero.”

“Yeah, and that’s an understatement.” Kara said. “When I found the Red Kryptonite, at first I didn’t think anything was wrong. I didn’t want to think anything was wrong. I was just speaking my mind, being honest- I was tired of being pushed around as Kara Danvers, when almost nothing could stop me as Supergirl. And if it had just been left at that, it would’ve been fine.”

“But it was not.”

“Right. I just kept going, and… I got worse. I hurt people. I was so angry, and as much as I thought it felt good, I also needed it to stop. And, thanks to J’onn and Alex, it did. But things weren’t the same afterwards, and for weeks afterward it was all a mess because of me.”

“I am sorry.” Querl said. “That was not your fault.”

“And neither were your inhibitors.” Kara told him. “I promise.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah. I mean, of course not- with the family you grew up in, seeing what you did, I can’t blame you for wanting to keep a bottled planet. There was no way you could have known what that really meant.”

Querl gave her a weak smile.

“Besides, if anyone, I’d want to go talk to your parents. Give _them_ a piece of my mind.”

Kara scowled, and kicked at a wall in front of them, a piece of it caving inward from the impact of her boot.

“How dare your dad take a part of your _personality_ from you.” She said. “Even if you were angry, you were still a child- and you didn’t deserve that.”

She raised her eyes to him again, and gently took his hand.

“You still don’t deserve that kind of judgment- not from your father, or anyone else.”

“Including other versions of myself.”

“Exactly.” She said. “Do you want to prove them wrong?”

He squeezed her hand, and together they left the training room.

“Perhaps.”


	3. prompt 4: "stop getting crumbs all over my bed"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> next prompt, featuring smol Danvers sisters! Because I felt like this one was especially perfect for them during the Midvale episode, before Kara went out and met up with Kenny in the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I get to write one of these featuring Kara and Kenny, because I really miss them. But until then, I hope this is okay.
> 
> (also reminder: Kenny could definitely be alive after Crisis! they've changed almost every part of Superman's past and the design of his pod and the Fortress of Solitude, I'm sure this wouldn't be such a stretch)

There was a stray in Alex’s house.

Okay, okay- maybe she shouldn’t be so harsh. This was _Superman’_ s cousin, after all, she was just a couple years younger than Alex herself. She- Kara Zor-El, apparently- had just gotten to Earth, and had no idea what it was like. She was so young, and scared, and alone… and Superman with all his responsibilities as the hero of Earth was unable to take care of her as well as he wanted to.

So he entrusted her into the care of Eliza and Jeremiah, and now Alex had to call Kara Danvers her sister.

It wasn’t all bad, of course. Kara was, if nothing else, interesting to watch- especially with how she reacted to everything that was new to her. And Alex admitted that it was fun having someone around who could fly.

(At least until they flew too far, and Kara wasn’t the one who got in trouble for it.)

In fact, Alex got in trouble for a _lot_ of things Kara did. And after Alex’s dad disappeared, things only got worse.

By the time they were both in high school, all fond memories of nighttime flights over oceans and staying up late looking at the stars were gone, and in their place were Kara bragging about being so much more advanced in math and science- the subjects Alex had prided herself on being so good at!- and Kara using her strength to carry her up the rope in gym class, Kara using her super-speed to always get to the bathroom first and make sure that she got all the best leftovers after school when Eliza was busy. Even when Alex did better in history than Kara did, Kara didn’t seem to care, and Alex was infuriated.

Almost everything- everything if she wanted it to- came so easily to her, and she knew she wasn’t blameless…

But just once, she wanted Kara to feel human, like her.

“Stop getting crumbs all over my bed!”

Kara looked up at Alex, rolling her eyes as she shut the textbook that was open on her lap.

“I’m multitasking.” She said. “Gotta get my homework done early.”

“It isn’t done yet?” Alex asked. “And here I thought that your Kryptonian intelligence would be a bigger help to you. Guess you’re not too much smarter than us mere mortals after all.”

“Shut up, this is history homework.” Kara said, after swallowing the macaroni and cheese she was eating. There was a bag of potato chips next to it, which Alex presumed was the other source of the crumbs she was sure Kara could see, and was pretending not to notice. “And for once, I’m trying to concentrate. Now could you leave me alone?”

“You’re still on my bed.”

“Don’t care. Working.”

Alex sighed.

“I’ll sit on you, if you don’t move.”

“Not like it’ll hurt me.”

“I know, but…” Alex started, knowing that there was no way Kara could take any threat of hers seriously. “Hey, wait. Why _are_ you getting it done early?”

Kara didn’t answer. But she eventually relinquished her bed to Alex, and after Alex got her own homework done and pretended to fall asleep, she heard the window open, and opened her eyes to see Kara sneaking outside, landing on the ground.

 _Finally,_ Alex thought. _I have something to hold against her- not so perfect now, is she?_

(She wouldn’t have been thinking that if she knew what else would happen that night, but at the time, it was enough, and she was content)


	4. prompt 5: "you're not allowed to scold me"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sliding in extremely late for day 5: "you're not allowed to scold me", featuring Winn and Brainy's dad
> 
> (my good friends mistyautumn/starswouldtell, elektra, and wintersky101/winterskywrites have also done really good prompts related to this, so I suggest you check their stories out!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaah I hope this isn't terrible

Winn wasn’t sure what to expect, when he finally got to meet Brainy’s father.

To be honest, he had _no_ expectations- Brainy hadn’t told him anything about his family, obviously (even though, based on his encounter with Indigo and hearing about the first Brainiac while growing up, he could figure out some things) and the Legionnaires all seemed too eager to change the subject whenever it came up.

 _Brainy’s not here,_ Winn thought. _You’re allowed to talk about his parents, if you really want to. So what’s going on?_

Nevertheless, he knew he was going to have to meet him someday- he was working on a solution to a plague that affected all Coluans, the least he could do was talk to those he tried so desperately to help.

(and hopefully they would understand that, while no twelfth-level intellect, he was still doing his best.)

And, one day, he did.

~

“Kajz Dox?” he asked, pronouncing carefully. The man who looked up to meet his eyes certainly bore a resemblance to Brainy- they were related, of course he would- but he also looked nothing like Winn thought.

“Yes.”

Winn had been working overtime. He was tired, and bound to mess up sometimes when talking to people, even with the Legion ring’s translator function.

So he didn’t think he could blame himself entirely for blurting out, with no introduction or warning whatsoever:

“You’re _green_.”

Indeed he was- healthier-looking than some of the other Coluans he’d seen, too. And though he knew that green Coluans did exist, he was under the impression that Brainy’s family were the exception, or there was something involving the Yodix, who were similar to the Coluans and from a neighboring planet- hell, one of them was named Dox too… but no matter.

“As opposed to?”

Kajz raised an eyebrow, and Winn took the opportunity to collect himself, looking down at the floor, wishing that this was only a simulation so he could try it again and get some more practice for actually talking to Brainy’s father.

“I- Um, I knew your son. Brainiac 5. And he was…”

“Blue? Yes, I’m aware.” Kajz said. “That is my doing.”

Winn stared at him.

“I know you’re curious.” Brainy’s dad answered. “And since I may die from this plague anyway, I may as well tell someone before I pass.”

“Not if I can help it.” Winn told him. “I promise- the dying part, anyway. You can tell me whatever you want, I’ll keep your secret.”

“It is quite a secret to keep.” He said. “Over twenty years ago, around Querl’s eighth birthday, I was with Querl and Fabala- his mother, Brainiac 4- on vacation. We were on a lovely planet, in the winter. Querl could have stayed there forever, playing in the snow. He wanted to- and because of that, Fabala bottled the whole planet for him.”

“What?”

“You are aware of Brainiac’s tendency to bottle planets, are you not?”

Winn thought back to his childhood, watching Brainiac try to bottle Metropolis when he had almost outgrown the foster care system.

“Yeah.” He said. “So he passed that on to his children?”

“And the rest of his descendants.” Kajz continued. “Including Querl’s mother. And, I feared, to Querl himself. I wanted to prevent that, so…”

He lowered his head, voice becoming quieter.

“I took the bottle from him, and made his mother release it, returning the planet to its place. Querl was furious with me- and I had no choice.”

“No choice but to do what?”

“I placed personality inhibitors on him.” Kajz said. “Meant to control him- and prevent him from becoming like his mother, and the rest of her family line. I thought I was protecting him.”

“Personality inhibitors.” Winn repeated. “When he was _eight_?”

“Coluan children are far more intelligent than humans at that age, and Querl was already a twelfth-level intellect-“

“No, I know that.” Winn said. “It’s just… I was told that too. That I was going to grow up to be like my dad. He was a good guy, we were so similar… and then he became a serial killer. And I thought I had those time-bomb genes in me, too.”

“Then you should see my perspective.” Kajz answered. “You know how dangerous the Brainiacs are.”

“But you were his father!” Winn protested. “Of all people, you shouldn’t have had to resort to dumbing him down, changing his personality so he would be more agreeable to you. And as smart as he was, as angry as he was, he was still a child. He didn’t deserve that.”

“You’re not allowed to scold me.”

Winn shook his head.

“I’m going to be a father, soon.” He said. “And I can already promise that I’ll be way better at it than either my dad, or you.”

Kajz sighed.

“Give me a chance.” He said. “I can show you- I will explain everything.”

“Not today.” Winn answered, and shut the door.


	5. prompt 6: "you belong to me"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "you belong to me", again I apologize that this is late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song used is "you belong to me" by Courtnee Draper! also thank you to my friend mistyautumn for the inspiration!
> 
> I apologize that this was so short, I wasn't really feeling either of the prompts I got (and the only ideas I could think of were super angsty). So Autumn suggested that someone dance to this song, and after listening to it, I thought it could fit in my Wandavision AU that I was planning. And this is the result of that thought.

There was a song playing on the radio.

Querl had been wary about that device- he’d heard, accompanied by static, someone’s voice trying to talk to him. Asking who was doing this to him (an irrelevant question, if he had to be honest, but if he tried to explain to them, they wouldn’t truly understand.) And it had been in public, while he had been near one of the residents of the town- the last place and time he would have wanted. He knew he had ways to get around them discovering the truth, but… even with them still unknowing, he hoped that they wouldn’t become suspicious of him.

But nobody was speaking now. There was only music, and he and Kara in their new house’s living room, as things were supposed to be. He wasn’t sure if the song, too, was a message, or if it had been created from his consciousness, projecting what he was feeling. It most likely wasn’t from the era that they and the rest of the town seemed to be in. But it seemed timeless, as it played, soft and sweet, as the two of them danced together.

_And I’ll be so alone without you_

_Maybe you'll be lonesome too, and blue_

_Fly the ocean in a silver plane_

_See the jungle when it's wet with rain_

_Just remember till you're home again_

_You belong to me_

Kara’s eyes were closed, as they swayed together, and her head was resting on his shoulder as he held one of her hands, her other hand resting on his shoulder and his arm around her waist. He, meanwhile, couldn’t help but close his eyes too, letting the music sweep him away, as it were- to a different world where they got more time together.

(though a part of him wondered- if he opened his eyes again, would it all go away? Would this world fade, leaving him only with the memories of what could have been?

When would he find himself alone, and lonesome, again?)

He chose to focus instead, once more, on that different world. Where they could travel to all the places they’d talked about, taking as much time as they needed without superheroing cutting their time short. Where they got to grow old in this house, with one another.

Where they could have been happy.

They were happy, now, but how long would it be until…

No. Querl couldn’t think about that, right then. Kara didn’t belong to him, as the singer described. But she was with him, this was their chance to be happy, and it would be okay.

For the time being, they were home, and perhaps someday, such a place could become permanent.


	6. prompt 7: "I heard that!" "You were supposed to!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt 7, featuring Winn and Brainy again because I miss them, and still sometimes wish we would've gotten more of them in season 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've probably covered this before, but the two days between Kara's fight with Reign and when she and Brainy first met are still really interesting to me, and I like coming back to that sometimes. Especially in the form of the reactions from everyone else, when they first met Brainy/woke him up.

To say that Winn was nervous about this whole thing would be a massive understatement.

Not only had the video footage showing all angles of Supergirl’s fight against Reign- and Supergirl notably on the losing side, for what felt like was the first time in forever- just showed Supergirl crashing into the street, leaving a crater… but Winn then had to see her up close and personal, Alex leading the charge into one of the medical rooms with Kara on a stretcher beside her.

She was doing everything she could- and Winn certainly trusted her, out of everyone, to do so when it came to her sister- but Winn couldn’t help but worry, hands shaking as he sat down, trying not to look at Kara.

How could everything have gone so wrong? Kara had been so confident, going into that fight. She was determined not to show any mercy. Alex told her, before she left, that she should be cold, and Kryptonian. Just like Reign herself.

But still, Reign had triumphed, and Kara…

Kara could be dead soon.

Winn didn’t want to think about this. His mind should be on his birthday tomorrow- was it the 25th already? He’d lost track of time- and that he and Kara and James had a good day planned, movies and takeout and absolutely no supervillains. Alex and J’onn and even Lena were supposed to show up, and he’d wanted to see if maybe Mon-El and Imra would like to join them too, as well as J’onn’s dad.

Now, though. He knew he couldn’t see the future, but it wasn’t hard to see how the next day would probably go. He, and the others, would be stuck here, watching over Kara, making sure she was okay.

He glanced over at Mon-El and Imra- who, instead of looking worried, were exchanging glances, looking between one another and Kara’s body.

(and Kara, he corrected himself. She wasn’t dead. She _couldn’t_ be.)

(He’d heard Imra, even though he probably wasn’t supposed to. She’d told Mon-El Kara would be okay, but… looking at her, it was hard to believe that)

After a while, J’onn looked over at them, and turned to Winn and the others. With only a suggestion to let Alex work without any distractions, they all filed out of the room.

~

“It’s time.” Mon-El said, once they were all gathered together, letting Alex be alone with her sister and the rest of the medical team.

“Time for what?”

“We… have a friend.” Imra started. “And we’re going to need to wake him up. But… based on one of the DEO’s files, I don’t think-“

She paused, considering how to phrase what she was about to say.

“You’re going to have to trust us.” She finally continued. “His name is Querl Dox. Also known as Brainiac 5.”

~

Winn was certainly trying to do that, once time had been given for them all to do so. Brainiac 5- Brainy, apparently, to his friends- was now well-rested himself, as Kara had been put into one of the Legion’s healing tanks instead of the DEO’s life support. It had been a long two days, but finally, he insisted that both he and Kara were ready. And what he was proposing…

“Are we really sure about this?” Winn asked, once he was out of the room. “We’re going to let him into Kara’s head?”

“Not like we have anything to lose.” Alex said.

Winn sighed.

“He’s a Brainiac, Alex!” he insisted. “Do you know, _really,_ that he has no ulterior motive? How do we know that this isn’t going to be Myriad all over again, and Kara will- will be stuck forever inside her mind, under _his_ control! How are we sure that he isn’t a glorified Windows Vista, just like-“

“I heard that!” Brainiac 5 said- shit. Was he glaring at him?

Regardless, he walked back in, and Winn already felt intensely guilty.

But he was still suspicious, and nervous, and maybe he felt entitled to lash out, just a little bit.

“You were supposed to!”

Brainiac 5 sighed.

“You may relax, Winslow Schott. I only wish to help Supergirl wake up- nothing relating to mind control.” He said. He held up a device in one hand, that Winn recognized as what had been placed on Kara’s head before she entered the tank. “This will assist in our communication, while I am inside her mind-prison. And if you do not believe me, I am also able to communicate with all of you simultaneously.”

(Winn wished he could wipe the look of smugness off his face, as Brainiac 5 placed that device on his own head before positioning himself in front of Kara’s healing tank, his hands in an inverted triangle as he stood before her unconscious form.)

“Now.” He said, his back to them. “Shall we begin?”


	7. prompt 8: "Just let me explain"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt 8, featuring a crossover of sorts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this one is kind of unfinished because I plan to revisit this topic at some point? also I'm tired and I had a headache yesterday.
> 
> but I hope this is still okay anyway!

It didn’t take long for the questions to start.

After all, in this reality, there were a whole host of people that Clark and Lois were friends with, whom the twins had met at one point or another- and now both Jonathan and Jordan were wondering how many of them had superpowers, or other identities that their parents had known about but never told them.

Starting with, naturally, Clark’s own cousin Kara.

With Jonathan and Jordan across the dinner table from their parents, it felt more like an interrogation, as they eventually got that yes, Kara was Supergirl- which to some was probably just as obvious as their father being Superman, but they had never asked about it, or even considered she had any other identity. She was across the country in National City, and too busy handling her own villains to come visit most of the time, but fortunately enough there were other heroes in her city to handle things alongside her.

These heroes weren’t as well-known as she was, since they had only in the past two years been working with her publicly, but in their city, Jonathan and Jordan had to assume that they were just as famous as the Flash and his friends (who they also wanted to know more about, come to think of it.)

But, as their dad had reminded them, they had all the time in the world to learn more about his friends and what they could do, separately and together. They could take it slow- but of course, Kara or any of her friends always had a standing invitation to visit Smallville whenever they were free.

(And that time, actually, came sooner than they’d thought)

~

There was an unfamiliar guy at football practice.

He didn’t move, as he watched the team go through plays- he just stood there, hands in the pockets of his purple jacket. He wore a black shirt underneath, with dark jeans and combat boots, and he could’ve really been anyone.

Except Jordan knew like everyone in Smallville, and he’d never met him before. Also, he felt like the guy was staring at him.

By the time practice was over, he saw the mystery man sitting down, and went over to him, eyes halfway to burning.

(He recognized that he hadn’t done anything wrong- but considering what his parents had told him and Jonathan recently, he was still suspicious.)

“Who are you?” he demanded, as the man stood up. “What, are the guys Morgan Edge is sending stalking us now? Was setting my mom’s car on fire not enough?”

“Just… let me explain. I do not work for Morgan Edge.” The man said, lowering his voice. “Actually, I’m a friend of your parents. My name is Querl Dox- I am Brainiac 5. But your parents- and Supergirl- just call me Brainy. And I’m here to speak with you, Jordan Kent.”

“Brainiac?” Jordan asked. “You really do have a lot of explaining to do. But… fine. Just not where anyone can hear us.”

“Very well.”


	8. prompt 9: "Just a knife wound. No big deal"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt 9, featuring some not as angsty Brainy and Alex!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this one is so short, again. And I was so close to making this very angsty, with Kara and Brainy (set after what is now the season 6 premiere), before remembering that it could easily work with Alex too. And subsequently making it non-angsty, because I like happy things and want to write (and read, for that matter) more of them.

Alex hadn’t been thinking.

(She should’ve been.)

She also almost definitely should’ve picked a different room- but then again, in the Tower, she didn’t have much of a choice.

And to be fair, she thought she was alone. Everyone else who would’ve occupied their new headquarters was busy, with work or otherwise, leaving Alex the perfect time to practice keeping the Hand of the Soldier in one form- specifically, a knife- and begin throwing said knife, as she had done while an agent of the DEO.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t as alone as she thought, and she wasn’t paying as much attention to her targets as she thought, so when she went to retrieve her knife, she found instead Brainy lying on the ground, holding it out to her.

“Oh my god.” She said, crouching down to get a closer look, taking the knife and lowering it to the ground carefully- just in case. “Oh, my god, I hit you.”

“Just a knife wound. No big deal.” Brainy answered. “As you might say.”

He was trying to smile at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes, and he flinched when Alex touched him.

“You said something similar when you got a cut on your head.” Alex said, before reconsidering. “Or… I guess, when your inhibitor was damaged.”

“Indeed.” He said. “However, this is not serious. Given time to heal myself, I will be alright.”

Alex scowled.

“Yeah, I know, but you also almost died a few weeks ago. Forgive me if I’m a little more concerned.” She said.

“You are?”

“Of course, Querl.” She answered. She’d known his first name all along, it was one of the first things Mon-El had told them all about him before waking him up, but only now had it occurred to her that she should use it more often. “I’m sorry.”

“I could tell that it was an accident.” Brainy told her. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

 _Neither do you,_ she thought, but that was for another time.

“Alright, how’s this.” She said instead. “I’ll get this cleaned up, so it can heal better. That’s something I’ve learned from dealing with Kara. Then, you take it easy, okay?”

“Easy?”

“Just relax.” She said. “You deserve it.”

He stared at her, as if he'd never been told that before, before smiling genuinely.

“Alright.”

She held out a hand to him, and he took it, letting her help him up, getting him over to a couch.

(She resolved to look before she threw next time.

Or, maybe, to use a weapon that didn’t have to leave her hands, because that was clearly a hazard)


	9. prompt 10: "I am not a child"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt 10, late once more (I'm very sorry)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I almost made this Brainy and Alex, until I reconsidered
> 
> also shoutout to my friend Winter, who's written an amazing version of Brainy getting his inhibitors, and inspired this!
> 
> sorry it's so short again

He still remembers it; sometimes- the last time he saw his father.

Querl had waited, for so long. He had tried his best to be good, like Kajz had wanted. And he’d thought he had succeeded. His father had rarely admonished him, since the inhibitors were put onto him.

(He remembers that too- the panic that set in before he went under, how much he had struggled to keep a hold on himself.

Why had he chosen this method? Why did what he’d done merit such a punishment? What would this do to him? How could he be worthy of what his mother told him he could eventually be- Brainiac 5, her successor- while wearing personality inhibitors?

His father had answered no questions, as he held him down, said nothing as everything faded away.)

Back then, he’d hoped that this would just be temporary. After a specific time- a month, a year, perhaps- he would be allowed to take them off, or his father would remove them, and it would be okay. He would be allowed to access the Coluan collective again, with more control over his emotions, over himself.

He had hope that, one day, he could be happy.

(As unrealistic as that was)

So he asked every year- and without fail, each time his father refused. There was still a chance that he would become like his mother, Kajz insisted, and such a chance remained the same, no matter how old he was.

Even, eventually, when he came of age.

“I am not a child.” Querl recalls himself saying. “I can make my own choices.”

(And wasn’t that what his father was afraid of?)

“You can still choose to be like your mother.” Kajz said. “The last thing you want is to be the reason this family regains a reputation for evil.”

Querl sighed.

“You are correct; I don’t want that.” He said. “Do you not trust me?”

(What was unsaid: he didn’t.)

(What he thought: he trusts the inhibitors more)

Kajz shook his head.

“I’m sorry.” He said.

( _No he isn’t,_ Querl thought.)

And that night, he considered: _What is the point of trying to be good, struggling against the metaphorical tide for years if not even your own father believes in your efforts?_

Then, he boarded a small ship, and left to search for his mother, leaving Colu and his father behind.

He didn’t look back.


End file.
